BACKGROUND: We assessed the analgesic efficacy of parecoxib, acetaminophen, and the combination of both compared with placebo in patients undergoing elective thyroid or parathyroid surgery. METHODS: We randomized 140 patients to receive one of the following i.v. treatments using a double-blinded double-dummy technique: placebo, 80 mg 24 h(-1) parecoxib, 5 ...

The optimal effective dose of epidural morphine that provides postoperative analgesia after caesarean section with minimal side effects remains debated. We performed a systematic review to assess the analgesic efficacy and the incidence of adverse effects of epidural morphine after caesarean section compared to systemic analgesia with opioids. We searched ...

Fentanyl has several potential advantages for out-of-hospital analgesia, including rapid onset, short duration, and less histamine release. Objective. To compare the effectiveness and safety of fentanyl with that of morphine. This was a retrospective before-and-after study of a protocol change from morphine to fentanyl in an advanced life support emergency ...

OBJECTIVES: The objectives were to report the baseline (prior to quality improvement interventions) patient and visit characteristics and analgesic management practices for each site participating in an emergency department (ED) sickle cell learning collaborative. METHODS: A prospective, multisite longitudinal cohort study in the context of a learning-collaborative model was performed ...

A preintervention and postintervention design was used to examine a total of 200 patients. After successful implementation at our institution of a perioperative oral multimodal analgesia protocol in major joint arthroplasty, a modified regimen was provided to patients undergoing spine procedures. A proactive, multimodal approach is currently recommended for the ...

BACKGROUND: Neuraxial analgesia significantly increases the success rate of external cephalic version (ECV) among nulliparae. The study objective was to compare ECV success among multiparae with and without spinal analgesia. METHODS: Prospective randomized controlled trial performed over a pre-defined 6 yr period in a tertiary referral delivery suite. Healthy multiparae ...

BACKGROUND: Pain management modalities that facilitate patient mobility may contribute to recovery after total hip replacement (THR) surgery. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of morphine intravenous (IV) patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) and the fentanyl iontophoretic transdermal system (fentanyl ITS) on physical therapists' ability to complete ...

To compare the outcomes of open (OPN) and prone retroperitoneoscopic partial nephrectomy (PRPN) in children. The medical and radiological records of all children undergoing OPN and PRPN over a 6-year period (2002-2008) were reviewed. Thirty-nine (11 boys/28 girls) partial nephrectomies were performed in a single institution. There were 24 OPNs ...

This study assessed the analgesic efficacy, side effects, and time to extubation of intravenous paracetamol when administered as an adjuvant to intravenous meperidine after major surgery in intensive care unit (ICU). Patients were randomized postoperatively into 2 groups in ICU. Patients received either 100 mL of serum saline intravenous (IV) ...

BACKGROUND: Previous studies using linear regression analysis have shown that age, weight, gender, and the site of operation affect intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IVPCA) narcotic use. However, there are inconsistent observations in the literature. The authors postulate that patient variables could have different effects at various doses of narcotics. To test ...

The present randomized study was conducted in our institute of pulmonary medicine and tuberculosis over a period of 1 year. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) as an adjunctive to thoracic epidural analgesia for the treatment of postoperative pain in patients who underwent ...

In hand surgery, ever since continuous at-home postoperative analgesia (CPA) was implemented, procedures which cause pain for more than 24h can now be performed in ambulatory surgery. The aim of our work was to study the feasibility of CPA. Our series comprised 40 patients with a mean age of 50 ...

The purpose of this two-part prospective observational and blinded trial was to determine whether the single nucleotide polymorphism of the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1:c.304A>G) modifies (1) the duration of intrathecal fentanyl labor analgesia and (2) supplemental analgesic requirements after intrathecal morphine analgesia following cesarean delivery. Labor analgesia was initiated with ...

To investigate safety and efficacy of 0.5% morphine drops for pain control after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK). In a double-blind prospective study, 40 patients were randomized to either 0.5% morphine drops (n=20) or vehicle control (n=20). Treatment occurred every 2 hours following PRK on the day of the procedure, then four ...

Intranasal (IN) fentanyl provides rapid and powerful non-parenteral analgesia in the ED. A concentrated solution of fentanyl (300 microg/mL) has been used in prior trials, yet many ED use the standard solution at a concentration of 50 microg/mL, which is widely available and of low cost. We set out to ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Patients who received NCA with morphine following major surgery between 1996 and 2008 at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK, were prospectively studied in the postoperative period to determine effectiveness, morphine requirements, incidence of common side effects, and serious adverse events. METHODS: The morphine NCA regimen and ...

Postoperative pain control after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a well-known clinical problem. Efforts to treat it with the use of local anesthesia have been made, but the results have been contradictive. In the late 1990s, an infiltrated solution of ropivacaine/ketorolac/adrenaline was shown to be effective for this purpose, and ...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of acupuncture on the morphine-related side effects (nausea, vomiting, itchiness and gastrointestinal disorders) in patients undergoing anesthesia and analgesia and try to find the clinical mechanism of acupuncture. METHODS: Patients scheduled to have transurethral prostatic resection: enrolled in the study (69 patients), characterized as Grade ...

BACKGROUND: During combined general and regional anaesthesia, it is difficult to use autonomic signs to assess whether wakefulness is suppressed adequately. We compared the effects of a dexmedetomidine-bupivacaine mixture with plain bupivacaine for thoracic epidural anaesthesia on intraoperative awareness and analgesic benefits, when combined with superficial isoflurane anaesthesia (<0.05 maximum ...

A retrospective analysis of 659 patients who had undergone a hip or knee arthroplasty was undertaken to determine the incidence of pulmonary embolism (PE) during the 48-hour period following surgery. Data related to pain control, concomitant medications, length of stay, and adverse reactions were also collated. Patients were evenly divided ...

Ketamine was recently shown to attenuate postoperative pain when used in combination with morphine in patients who had undergone general and orthopedic surgery. We assessed its effects in 46 patients undergoing minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass, off-pump coronary artery bypass, or thoracotomy and correlated them with patient and family ...

Perioperative Thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) is an important part of a multimodal approach to improve analgesia and patient outcome after cardiac and thoracic surgery. This is particularly important for obese patients undergoing off pump coronary artery bypass surgery (OPCAB). We conducted a randomized clinical trial at tertiary care cardiac institute ...

The aim of this research is to determine: the influence of continuous opiate and intermittent non-opiate postoperative analgesia on thoracic surgical patients' acute phase response, based on acute phase response protein serum values (IL-6 and C-reactive protein) 24, 48 and 72 hours aftersurgery; to analyze the acute phase responses in ...

Controversy exists regarding the site of action of fentanyl after epidural injection. The objective of this investigation was to compare the efficacy of epidural and intravenous fentanyl for orthopedic surgery. A randomized double-blind study was performed in Hospital São Paulo. During the postoperative period, in the presence of pain, 29 ...

BACKGROUND: In a randomized, double-blind, prospective study, we have evaluated the effect of i.v. infusion of magnesium sulphate during spinal anaesthesia on postoperative analgesia and postoperative analgesic requirements. METHODS: Forty patients undergoing total hip replacement arthroplasty under spinal anaesthesia were included. After the induction of spinal anaesthesia, the magnesium group ...

BACKGROUND: This experimental study was designed to investigate and compare the effects of different anesthesia techniques on rat cremaster muscle flap microcirculation. METHODS: Fifty male Sprague-Dawley rats (130-150 g body weight) were divided into five experimental groups containing ten animals each. Group I, group II, and group III were designated ...

OBJECTIVES: Continuous epidural analgesia may be considered in liver resection but is often avoided because of possible coagulopathies and the risk of epidural hematoma in the postoperative period. On the other hand, there is no coagulation defect during the surgery. Effective prevention of postoperative pain may require continuous sensory ablation ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to report on the design and essentials of the Etoricoxib protocol- Preemptive and Postoperative Analgesia (EPPA) Trial, investigating whether preemptive analgesia with cox-2 inhibitors is more efficacious than placebo in patients who receive either laparotomy or thoracotomy. DESIGN AND METHODS: The study is a ...

Over 500,000 total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) are performed annually in the US, yet postoperative pain management varies widely. In patients managed with epidural analgesia, the epidural catheter is generally removed on the second postoperative day. We compared in-hospital outcomes associated with removing the epidural catheter on postoperative day 1 (POD1-group) ...

We sought to determine the potential of remote ischemic periconditioning (RIPC), and its combination with morphine, to reduce reperfusion injury in primary percutaneous coronary interventions. Remote ischemic post-conditioning is implemented by applying cycles of ischemia and reperfusion on a remote organ, which result in release of circulating factors inducing the ...

Venous ischemia is a major cause of failure after free tissue transfers and replantations. The combination of general and epidural anesthesia leads to vasodilatation and improves tissue perfusion. Postoperative pain relief and sympathetic blockage are additional benefits of epidural anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to determine whether epidural ...

Patient-controlled analgesia is a widely used and effective method of controlling pain after THA. This method is associated with substantial undesirable side effects. Local infiltration has been introduced in an attempt to reduce opioid requirements postoperatively, but its ability to reduce pain without complications is still questioned. We evaluated patient-controlled ...

An extended-release epidural morphine (EREM) has been introduced to improve postoperative pain management. Studies have shown the effectiveness of this agent in providing better pain control and patient satisfaction for patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty. We evaluated postoperative pain relief by comparing average daily pain scores and opioid use with ...

BACKGROUND: Randomized trials comparing air to saline for loss of resistance (LOR) for identification of the epidural space have suggested the superiority of saline. We hypothesized that, in actual clinical practice, anesthesiologists using their preferred technique would produce similar analgesic outcomes with either air or saline. METHODS: The labor analgesia ...

Pain and diaphragmatic dysfunction are the major reasons for postoperative pulmonary complications after upper abdominal surgery. Preoperative administration of analgesics helps to reduce and prevent pain. The objective of this study was first to research the rate of pulmonary complications for laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) and then analyze the influence of ...

BACKGROUND: Epidural analgesia is widely used for efficient pain relief after major surgery. However, it may cause urinary retention, leading to delayed removal of bladder catheters with prolonged patient discomfort. Using a specific regimen in patient controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA), we examined the optimal duration of urinary catheterization in patients ...

In the attempt to reduce postoperative complications and costs and improve outcomes, the concept of fast track surgery has been proposed. Improvements in anesthesia techniques and a better understanding of the pathophysiologic events occurring during and after surgery have made it possible. A group of patients undergoing colorectal resections with ...

BACKGROUND: The best method for identifying the epidural space for neuraxial blocks is controversial. We conducted this meta-analysis to test the hypothesis that loss of resistance with liquid reduces complications with epidural placement. METHODS: The MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched for prospective, randomized studies comparing air versus liquid ...

A case of postoperative epidural hematoma with an atypical presentation and an excellent outcome in an 80 year-old woman who received both prophylactic aspirin and enoxaparin following a primary total knee arthroplasty, is presented. She developed lower limb neurological symptoms, fully recovered, and then deteriorated again. The hematoma was surgically ...

PURPOSE: The aim of this observational study was to assess the influence of preoperative opioid consumption on postoperative morphine consumption after leg amputation performed under combined regional and general anesthesia. METHODS: After Institutional Review Board approval, patients scheduled for leg amputation were included in a prospective observational study. A popliteal ...

INTRODUCTION: A prospective audit of neonates, infants, and children receiving opioid infusion techniques managed by pediatric acute pain teams from across the United Kingdom and Eire was undertaken over a period of 17 months. The aim was to determine the incidence, nature, and severity of serious clinical incidents (SCIs) associated ...